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NYC Wholesale Diamonds found this fascinating article on Phys.org today…..Enjoy

Published in Nature Nanotechnology, researchers from Cardiff University have unveiled a new method for viewing nanodiamonds inside human living cells for purposes of biomedical research.

Nanodiamonds are very small particles (a thousand times smaller than human hair) and because of their low toxicity they can be used as a carrier to transport drugs inside cells. They also show huge promise as an alternative to the organic fluorophores usually used by scientists to visualise processes inside cells and tissues.

A major limitation of organic fluorophores is that they have the tendency to degrade and bleach over time under light illumination. This makes it difficult to use them for accurate measurements of cellular processes. Moreover, the bleaching and chemical degradation can often be toxic and significantly perturb or even kill cells.

There is a growing consensus among scientists that nanodiamonds are one of the best inorganic material alternatives for use in biomedical reseach because of their compatibility with human cells, and due to their stable structural and chemical properties.

Previous attempts by other research teams to visualise nanodiamonds under powerful light microscopes have run into the obstacle that the diamond material per se is transparent to visible light. Locating the nanodiamonds under a microscope had relied on tiny defects in the crystal lattice, which fluoresce under light illumination.

Production of the defects proved both costly and difficult to realise in a controlled way. Furthermore, the fluorescence light emitted by these defects, and in turn the image gleaned from the microscopic exploration of these flawed nanodiamonds, is sometimes also unstable.

In their latest paper, researchers from Cardiff University’s Schools of Biosciences and Physics showed that non-fluorescing nanodiamonds (diamonds without defects) can be imaged optically and far more stably via the interaction between the illuminating light and the vibrating chemical bonds in the diamond lattice structure which results in scattered light at a different colour.

The paper describes how two laser beams beating at a specific frequency are used to drive chemical bonds to vibrate in sync. One of these beams is then used to probe this vibration and generate a light, called coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS).

By focusing these laser beams onto the nanodiamond, a high-resolution CARS image is generated. Using an in-house built microscope, the research team was able to measure the intensity of the CARS light on a series of single nanodiamonds of different sizes.

The nanodiamond size was accurately measured by means of electron microscopy and other quantitative optical contrast methods developed within the researcher’s lab. In this way, they were able to quantify the relationship between the CARS light intensity and the nanoparticle size.

Consequently, the calibrated CARS signal enabled the team to analyse the size and number of nanodiamonds that had been delivered into living cells, with a level of accuracy hitherto not achieved by other methods.

Professor Paola Borri from the School of Biosciences, who led the study, said: “This new imaging modality opens the exciting prospect of following complex cellular trafficking pathways quantitatively with important applications in drug delivery. The next step for us will be to push the technique to detect nanodiamonds of even smaller sizes than what we have shown so far and to demonstrate a specific application in drug delivery.”

Here at NYC Wholesale Diamonds we are thrilled to help our happily engaged couples with our magnificent selection of quality wedding bands. The debate between platinum and white gold is complex, and really depends on many variables. The following is the case for why men should choose Platinum Wedding Bands.

Congratulations to all you soon-to-be grooms. Now that your wedding is only months away, your jewelry collection – just a watch, huh? – is about to increase by as much as 50 percent.

Meaning, it’s time to start thinking about what kind of wedding band you want for yourself.

Wedding bands have become the norm for men in recent years

– 97 percent of grooms in The Knot Market Intelligence’s “2011 Engagement & Jewelry Study” opted for one – so even if you have any doubts, your bride will probably set you straight. That means your only real decision is what kind of band best suits you.

To hear CNNMoney.com tell it, there are basically two camps: those who “don’t want to compromise” when it comes to quality (platinum bands), and those who feel they cannot afford the best and therefore need to settle (bands made from alternative metals). But, as jewelry expert Michael O’Connor points out, that doesn’t really give the whole picture.

“It’s true that platinum is so rare – 30 times more so than gold – that if all the world’s supply were melted and poured into an Olympic-size pool, it would barely reach your ankles,” O’Connor says. “But men’s platinum bands start at $500.”

That turns out to be pretty comparable to the cost of the two most popular alternative metals: titanium and tungsten carbide. Both are perhaps best known for being used to make fighter jets. Cool, right? Well, yes, but that also means they’re intrinsically lightweight and lack the heft of platinum.

“Most men prefer something that feels masculine on their finger,” says O’Connor.

There are other facts to consider, too. Tungsten and titanium jewelry will need special reconditioning if scratched, and cannot be resized. Even the more popular white gold will require rhodium replating to restore its white color due to wear over time. And while platinum – as all precious metals – can scratch, the metal is simply displaced on the surface of the ring, meaning very little metal is lost in wear. That makes it the most durable family heirloom that will last generations.

Still confused? Then ask yourself this question: How committed are you to your future wife?

If the answer’s what we think, then know that platinum has traditionally symbolized a relationship that will endure since it doesn’t fade or change color. “That’s the kicker for a lot of couples,” says O’Connor.

Keith Saxe is GIA and FIT trained and has been a trusted high end diamond jewelry specialist for 26 years. He is the founder and president of NYC Wholesale Diamonds located at 47 West 47th Street Suite 3A in the New York City Diamond District. His website is www.NYCWholesaleDiamonds.com and he authors a blog www.NYCDiamondBlog.com. Keith has a full service store located across the street from his private office, and a San Diego factory showroom. He offers GIA Certified Ideal Cut Diamonds, and state of the art fine jewelry designs at low wholesale prices. Keith has been named the N.Y. Diamond District’s Favorite Jeweler by the N.Y. Post’s Savvy Shopper column, had his diamond education articles published, been recommended in the New York Times, CNN reporter Robyn Spizman’s ‘Perfect Present Guide’ and ‘The GIFTionary’, as well as having his Diamond Halo Engagement Ring design featured on ‘The Knot’ http://www.theknot.com/weddings/album/a-preppy-upstate-wedding-in-aurora-ny-144122

Looking to surprise your girlfriend and PROPOSE in NYC?

The hit TLC show “Say Yes to the Dress” is asking NYC Wholesale Diamonds president Keith Saxe to help them find the guy who wants to pop the question to his special someone in NYC, whether it’s on the Brooklyn Bridge or the top of the Empire State building, they want to be there to catch it on camera.

As a special bonus, Randy Fenoli, will whisk her away immediately after to shop for her dream wedding dress at the famous Kleinfeld Bridal.

If interested email KS@NYCWD.com with a little bit about yourself, your girlfriend and recent photo of the two of you. Good luck!

Many millions of dollars of jewelry hit the red carpet at the 2014 Oscars in Hollywood last night…and that was just on Jennifer Lawrence.

NYC Wholesale Diamonds took notice of the following magnificent designs that were priceless:

Charlize Theron 31-carat diamond cluster Harry Winston necklace popped against her black Christian Dior haute couture gown.

As if her Prada gown wasn’t stunning enough, Lupita Nyong’o showed off great taste in jewelry as well, selecting a beguiling gold and diamond headband and a gold and rose-cut diamond spiked crescent earrings which gave a little edge to the outfit. She also wore a 19th century gold and diamond snake bracelet and several vintage rings, all from Fred Leighton.

Cate Blanchett’s gown was embellished enough, but she dared to wear giant opal drops set in white gold from Chopard — gorgeous. Naomi Watts paired her winter-white Calvin Klein gown with a spiderweb-like diamond Bulgari necklace. Jennifer Lawrence‘s Neil Lane necklace weighed in at 100 carats and cost $2 million — and let’s not forget her 10-card diamond studs and diamond-and-platinum ring. And Sandra Bullock‘s platinum and diamond $1.8 million cluster earrings from Lorraine Schwartz.

A Diamond Engagement Ring is the ultimate romantic gift of a lifetime. That said, Diamonds have proven to consistently be one of the best investments of all time, if not the very best! Diamonds become family heirlooms for generations.  They are historically the most valuable, and stable form of currency. Now can we say the same about weddings? We would never lessen the importance and significance of a wedding here at NYCWD. In my 26 years sharing the joy of couples as they become engaged, many have sought out alternative ideas to a huge wedding. The following is a fascinating article written by Kate Storey appearing in today’s New York Post. Yes, one and the same N.Y. Post that named NYC Wholesale Diamond’s President Keith J. Saxe ‘The New York Diamond District’s Favorite Jeweler’ in their Savvy Shopper Column.

Last spring, a few dozen guests stopped by a going-away party in Greenpoint for Khuong Phan and Shannon Belisario. Wearing casual summer dresses and slouchy jeans, the friends gathered at Paulie Gee’s pizza joint.

There was nothing unusual about the party, except the departing couple was a bit more dressed up than usual — Belisario in a cute purple and red frock, Phan in a sharp sports coat. And surprisingly, their family members had flown in from Florida for the lunch.

After some slices, Phan, then 32, and Belisario, then 30, invited the group of 55 to a nearby photo studio for drinks. A few hours later, Phan and Belisario climbed on top of a coffee table to make a toast.

“Our Brooklyn friends have become like a second family to us,” Phan began as iPhones flashed. “And keep out your cellphone cameras! Because we’re getting married — right now!”

The room erupted in cheers and tears as the couple dashed off to change into their wedding finery.

Top-secret weddings are usually associated with celebrities hoping to escape the glare of paparazzi — think Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick; Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds; Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who reportedly tied the knot last week in a covert ceremony in Northern California. But recently such undercover weddings have become a welcome alternative for everyday couples looking to avoid the fuss and frills of the over-the-top, “Bridezilla” approach to matrimony.

“Ambush weddings are part of a bigger trend of couples doing away with the traditional way of doing weddings,” says Carmen Feliciano, CEO of pennyandmary.com, a New York-based wedding vendor site.

“It’s driven by a few things: cost, need for personalization and time. People just don’t want to spend a year and a half having wedding planning in the back of their minds.”

And who can blame them? According to theknot.com, the average New York wedding now costs upwards of $70,000, and brides typically spend 14 months planning it.

Simply turning a party into a surprise wedding eliminates the hassle of save-the-dates, fancy invites, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and decoration details. Plus the planning period is generally reduced to a month or two.

For both celebrities and regular folks, the key to pulling off a surprise wedding is coming up with a strong excuse to lure guests to the bash. LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian told pals they were hosting an engagement party at a private home, in 2011, but when guests showed up, the couple revealed it was actually their wedding. In 2009, Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady used their son’s christening at St. Monica Catholic Church in California as an excuse to get their group gathered.

Belisario and Phan, who had been engaged for five years, initially planned to go the traditional route with their nuptials. But they kept running into roadblocks.

“We had pseudo-planned our wedding twice,” says Belisario. “We looked around everywhere — The Green Building, The Foundry, all over the place. They’re so expensive!”

So the wedding was pushed off. But when Phan scored a job in Los Angeles, the couple knew they couldn’t leave their beloved Brooklyn — where they’d spent the majority of their relationship — without getting married.

So they dove into action, turning their going-away party into a surprise ceremony. They tracked down a priest who agreed to officiate with only a week’s notice, and tipped off their families in Florida to ensure they’d make the trip north.

Even though some female guests unwittingly wore white, some male guests arrived under-dressed in jeans and sandals, and almost everyone showed up empty-handed — no wedding invites means no registry — the response was overwhelmingly positive.

“I thought it was really romantic and a great way to take the pressure off of all of the bulls - - t that comes with a wedding — save-the-dates and invites and dress code and all of the rigamarole that’s peripheral to the celebration itself,” says Jamie Feldmar, 26, who has been friends wit h the couple for years. “I thought it was kind of awesome.”

Park Slope residents Amy and Dave Frey were so against the nuptial song and dance, they planned to skip it altogether — until a health scare changed their minds.

After dating for about four years and deciding marriage wasn’t for them, the pair decided to start a family in the fall of 2012. But Amy had a dangerous ectopic pregnancy that required emergency surgery.

“In the hospital, right before the surgery, we looked at each other and were like, maybe we need to rethink this whole marriage thing,” Amy says.

“And my husband looked at me and said, ‘Oh, we’re going to get married!’”

But they knew they didn’t want their “I do’s” to be the normal to-do.

“We’d been to nine or 10 weddings over the previous two years, and there’s so much stress,” Amy says. “We didn’t want to be stressed over money and linens and tables and all that stuff.”

In a matter of weeks, Amy, 31, had invited their friends to a surprise birthday party for Dave, 39, at MyMoon restaurant in Williamsburg. But unbeknownst to their guests, the couple secretly exchanged vows in front of a few close family members at the nearby Wythe Hotel moments before the “birthday party” began. So it was a pleasant surprise when the couple walked through the door with rings on their fingers.

“Amy had the biggest grin on her face, and I just knew,” remembers guest Anna Carnick.

“I burst out crying, and she came up and said, ‘We got married!’ ”

Meanwhile, Alec and Gaby Brownstein spent months telling everyone they were planning to elope somewhere exotic and then have a small party to celebrate.

“Our parents were not thrilled,” Alec, 33, says. “They wanted us to do a wedding.”

And when the couple realized their “low-key” soiree was becoming as big as a wedding, they decided to nix the elopement and stage a surprise ceremony at the party.

The only other person who knew of their nuptial plot was wedding planner Tracy Taylor Ward, who set up a photo shoot of the couple around the city, with beach locales acting as stand-ins for exotic elopement spots. On the day of the party, Alec and Gaby played the slideshow for their guests, listing places they’d intended to wed. And then, the big reveal: “But we knew we wanted to get married in front of our family and friends — so we’re getting married today!”

“They were crying and so moved,” 29-year-old Gaby says. “I was so surprised that so many people cared so much.”

But relationship therapist Rachel Sussman recommends treading carefully if you go the surprise route.

“Parents could be very hurt if they were lumped into the same surprise that their kids’ friends and acquaintances and colleagues are,” she says.

Sussman instead encourages couples to bring their closest friends and relatives into the planning process.

And yes, that includes the bride.

Wedding planner Sandy Malone handled the granddaddy of secret ceremonies last year when a would-be groom hired her to surprise his future bride.

The client flew his girlfriend to Vieques, Puerto Rico, where he promptly proposed. The very next day, their friends and family arrived for the ceremony — unbeknownst to the soon-to-be Mrs.

That’s when things got awkward.

At the reception, family and friends began whispering that they thought the bride had been pressured into marriage. They didn’t approve of the groom and, although they knew they were flying to the couple’s wedding, they didn’t think they’d had a chance to voice their concerns.

“I was physically ill,” says Malone. “It was horrible. I wanted to take the bride aside and say, ‘Did I do something horrible? Your paperwork isn’t filed yet. We can tell everyone it’s a bad dream!’ But if nobody in her family has the guts to tell her that, who am I to do it?”

Malone says there is a difference between good and bad surprise weddings.

“A bad surprise is not telling the bride she’s about to get married.”

One of the more difficult tasks I confront as both a Jeweler, and Diamond Educator is to provide a reality check for clients and referrals seeking to purchase a style, design, or product that I cannot in good faith recommend. Most take the easy way out and provide these products regardless of price. When it came to selling gold at $1,700 and above I refused to do that here at NYC Wholesale Diamonds, and when it comes to Brown Diamonds…I say there are infinitely better values out there for your consideration. Here is why:

WHAT IS BEING ADVERTISED: Chocolate Diamonds are the next fashion statement

THE REALITY: Brown diamonds, the least valuable of the diamond family, are so common and unattractive they were once only used for industrial purposes, attached to blades on cutting machines

Large Jewelery manufactures and Importers in the U.S. have so much power that I had to reach across the Atlantic to provide this well written article by Sadie Whitelocks in today’s Daily Mail. It is both informative and quite accurate.

A $12,000 ‘Chocolate’ Diamond ma’am? How Jewelers are fooling woman by repackaging the common brown diamond as an expensive gem

Brown diamonds, the least valuable of the diamond family, are so common they were once only used for industrial purposes, attached to blades on cutting machines.

But now an increasing number of jewelers are being criticized for ‘pulling the wool over women’s eyes’, by charging the same price for them as their rarer white diamond counterparts thanks to some clever marketing techniques.

Instead of ‘brown’, the gemstones are referred to as ‘chocolate’, ‘champagne’, ‘cognac’ or ‘caramel’-colored by outlets, instantly giving them more of a luxury appeal.

Dr. George Harlow, a trained geologist specializing in mineralogy and crystallography and a curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, told Jezebel.com  that this ‘upgrade’ trend is becoming more common among jewelers.

‘The thing is with brown [diamonds], there’s an oversupply,’ he said.

‘So there’s a desire to try and change them from industrial diamonds, which is what they generally are, to a gem buyer.’

The fine jewelry brand Le Vian has actually trademarked the term ‘Chocolate Diamond’ in an attempt to glorify the brown gemstone.

One of its ‘bridal set’ rings listed at Macys.com, which consists of a 2-1/4 carat round-cut brown diamond, surrounded by smaller stones in the same color and 20 clear ones, is priced at $12,300.

At the bottom of the price scale – but certainly not cheap at $950 – is a simple white gold band featuring just over a dozen 1/5 carat ‘richly-hued chocolate diamonds’.